How to Befriend the Living
by BlackBlood1872
Summary: Henry McMillan and Vladimir Tod could not be more different. And yet... for some strange reason, they have a friendship that can withstand anything. And let me tell you – they go through a lot of weird stuff


_As you can tell from the description, this is a whole lot of tooth-rotting fluff. You've been warned._  
 _Also, how do you write children? Lol._  
 _I've only read the first 3 books, and that was a while ago. I randomly stumbled on a wiki page that spoiled some weird stuff, so this might not be canon-complacent, but I really don't care. Go with it._

* * *

Vladimir Tod is five years old when his mother enrolls him in Bathory Elementary. His dad was against the whole thing, saying it's much too dangerous – Vlad is mature for his age, sure, but he's still a _child_. There is a very real, very likely chance that Vlad will let his secret slip, even if it is an accident.

Mellina disagrees and enrolls him anyway. Vlad takes his lunches in the parking lot, drinking his daily blood bag in the back of the car, listening to the stories his mom tells him. Sometimes it's about her day at work, or something she and Nelly had done in their time off. Sometimes it's about something particularly ridiculous Tomas had done. Sometimes it's about Mellina's teen years, before she met Vlad's father, before she ever thought she'd have a family.

Those stories more than make up for the teasing he gets when he returns to school for the afternoon. Being called a mama's boy isn't so bad when his mother is the best woman in the world, and he tells them that, scowling at Bill and Tom before marching back to his seat.

He shares a table with three other kids, a seating arrangement mirrored at all the other tables. The two girls aren't very interesting to him, though they have their moments. The boy he sits next to, however, is friendly almost to the point of being annoying, and he doesn't seem to care that Vlad is all dark and reclusive while he's sunlight embodied. He likes Vlad, and that's that.

Vlad is secretly very happy to call Henry McMillan his best friend. Henry, on the other hand, is not secretive about this fact, and loudly proclaims it to everyone who tries to break them apart.

Mellina thinks they're too cute for words. Tomas wonders when Henry will learn the secret he's not supposed to know.

* * *

Two years later, is the answer to that. By then, Tomas is merely exasperated by the whole thing, and a little impressed that his son was able to keep it quiet for so long.

He's also impressed that Henry takes it so well.

* * *

Henry McMillan is just about the exact opposite of Vladimir Tod. He's practically made of sunshine and happiness, and he's popular without even trying. Vlad has moments, once he's older, when he wonders how the heck he managed to get the boy as a friend. Then he corrects himself – he didn't so much as get him, as he was captured by Henry and firmly placed in his friend group. And after just a year, he realizes that as popular as Henry is, Vlad is his only true friend, and that warms Vlad's heart every time he thinks about it. Because they couldn't be more different, but Henry is his friend despite that.

Maybe that's why Vlad tells him his secret, halfway into second grade, even though he's really not supposed to.

It's the middle of winter, and just a few days before New Years. Vlad and Henry are at the Tod house, playing in the living room with Nelly watching over them. At this exact moment, however, Nelly is upstairs talking to Mellina, and Vlad sneaks enough nervous glances Henry's way that the boy sighs dramatically.

" _What?_ " he whines, pushing his Legos away to stare at Vlad fully. Vlad fidgets and can't seem to look higher than Henry's chin.

" _Er_ – I wanted– I mean, there's something I need to tell you," Vlad stammers out, feeling his heart start to pound against his ribs. Henry looks curious and kind of exasperated, and he rolls his eyes when Vlad doesn't continue.

"What it is?" he presses, and the expression he makes is just shy of a pout – something Vlad is sure the other boy will deny if he points it out. Vlad opens his mouth to respond, but all he gets is a pathetic combination of a croak and a squeak, so he clamps his mouth shut again. Henry looks amused, then shrugs. "Alright then, don't tell me. Pass me that block, will yo–"

"Imavampire," Vlad blurts, then cringes back, peeking at Henry through his bangs. The boy is frozen except for his eyes, which are blinking rapidly at Vlad. His hands hover just above his Lego creation, which is forgotten in the face of this new revelation.

"What?" Henry asks again, fainter, and Vlad gulps.

"I'm a vampire," he repeats, slower and quieter, and watches Henry blink some more. Henry repeats that silently to himself, looking mystified. The seconds drag on, and Vlad feels his stomach twist up. This was a _very bad idea_.

Then a glint of something enters Henry's eyes and he relaxes with a little laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're playing a joke on me, aren't you? Very funny Vlad, but–" he stops, and Vlad realizes he must look as distressed as he feels, and quickly looks away. "Wait," Henry says, and his voice trembles, just a little bit, "you're not...? But that's– No way, vampires are, like, a myth. They're not real."

"On the contrary," a dry voice interrupts, "vampires are very real."

Both boys spin around, and Vlad shrinks under the tired look his father gives him. The man then sighs and pushes away from the doorjamb, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch nearest the boys. Vlad can't look at him, and instead stares at his hands as he fiddles with the hem of his shirt.

"Vladimir," his father says sternly, and Vlad knows better than to ignore that tone of voice. He looks up through his bangs and is relieved to meet eyes that are merely disapproving instead of angry. "I thought I told you not to tell anyone."

"I know," Vlad mutters, and can't stop his bottom lip from pouting out. "But Henry's my _best friend_. It's been _so hard_ lying to him."

"Lying and omitting the truth are two different things," Tomas counters, but his sigh bellies this argument. "I can't say I'm surprised, however. I knew it would come out eventually; you're young, and secrets are always hard to keep."

" _Uhm_ –" Henry starts hesitantly, biting his lip when they both look at him. "What did you mean, uh, when you said–?"

"Vampires are real," Tomas repeats dully, leaning against the arm of the couch and propping his head up on his hand. "Vlad here is one – or half of one – and so am I. It's a secret no one outside the family is supposed to know." He frowns at Vlad when he says this, and the boy feels his cheeks burn.

"You're a–" Henry stammers, eyes wide. Tomas smirks at him, revealing just a hint of a fang, then gives him a closed mouth smile. Henry gapes – but he doesn't run, or scream, and Vlad feels hopeful. Just a bit.

Because Henry is his friend, against all odds, and maybe that means something.

* * *

SO HI

I wrote a thing? I don't know, mate, I just really love this series, and I got the last two books for Christmas, and the lack of childhood stories _really bugs me_ – so yeah. Ta da! This is all I've got at the mo, but I want to write something for this mysterious "we were _eight_ " event, so that might exist later. Don't hold your breath though. I am very bad at updating my stories.


End file.
